This invention relates to an intake limiting liquid feed composition for ruminants and a process for employing the same in order to attain an economical and efficient means of self-feeding ruminants.
Liquid feed supplements are widely used for the feeding of cattle and have several advantages compared to dry feed supplements. One advantage is that since these feed supplements are in a liquid phase, the different components can be uniformly distributed throughout the liquid medium without difficulty. Futhermore, the liquid nature of these supplements make them economical to manufacture because of the relatively simple type of apparatus required for producing liquid feeds as compared to dry supplements.
These liquid feed supplements usually employ as a medium a carbohydrate solution such as molasses. A disadvantage, however, of liquid feed supplements is the high palatability of the molasses or liquid feed medium which causes the animals to consume excessive amounts thereby exceeding the point of most efficient feed utilization. This has necessitated the use of special equipment which is designed to "meter" the quantity of liquid feed supplement to the animal. Equipment of this tupe include "lick" wheels which are partially immersed in the feed supplement and as the animal licks the wheel it turns and carries supplement to the animal. This requirement for special equipment has, therefore, offset many of the economic advantages of manufacturing liquid feeds and a need exists for a liquid feed supplement which is self-limiting and which controls consumption by the animal to a predetermined level without special equipment for this purpose.
Copending U.S. Patent Application, Ser. No. 970,020, filed Dec. 18, 1978 by the inventors herein, discloses a composition for controlling feed supplement intake which comprises a chlorinated fat having a reacted chlorine content in an amount effective to limit intake usually between about 0.2 and 7.0% by weight, preferably with a minimum reacted chlorine level of at least about 0.5% by weight with a most preferred range of 0.9 to 1.5% by weight. It has now been determined that the use of this specific type of chlorinated fat in liquid feed supplements also controls consumption of these supplements by cattle without a requirement for special equipment.